Pick a character and I will give and explain the top five ideas/concepts/etc. I keep in mind while writing them/imagining writing them that I believe are essential to accurately depicting them. Any and all characters welcome from any fandoms I've talked about.

So, um, you all know what I like, but as a quick reminder: Life on Mars, Clocking Off, Merlin, Sherlock, NCIS, Psych, Futurama, Wire in the Blood, Chuck, How I Met Your Mother, Community, due South, Farscape.

1. It's important to get the balance right with Gene. It is disturbingly easy to make him too nice, or too cruel, too refined or too oafish. He's all of these things and more. I think it depends upon the story as to which specific concentration you're going to use, but you need to be aware that all of these sides exist --- and that, at any given moment, Gene means different things to different people.

2. Gene Hunt is never wrong. But sometimes he is slightly less right than everyone else.

3. Gene can and will say things that are offensive to anyone and everyone --- he'll know they're offensive, he'll even understand why, but he'll pretend to be ignorant on these points because it's easier that way. He has a line, though. It's occasionally fuzzy, but it's always there. Sometimes, Gene looks at the line as he dances over it, before hopping back onto the 'right' side.

4. Love is important to Gene, and he does love, fiercely. With his love comes loyalty, and a capacity for forgiveness that can't be rivalled.

5. Gene is excellent with words, but he reveals who he really is through his actions.

1. Fraser's formal, but not to the point of sounding like an automaton.

2. He feels keenly, but often doesn't know how to deal with that, so he hides that side of himself away.

3. He is super manipulative, but in the kindest way possible. Most of the time, he manipulates by capitalising on people's false assumptions.

4. For me, an important thing about Fraser was the idea that he survived being alone very well, that he could manage, that he enjoyed it to a point, but that he did feel lonely. There was quite a lot of debate at one point about Fraser being introverted and therefore not feeling lonely as a result, and I was always on the side that, sure, he's introverted, but that this doesn't automatically mean he could never feel alone. This is why the two Rays were always so vital.

5. Duty, loyalty, and 'the right thing'. You don't have them, you don't have Fraser.

Oh man, why did I offer Farscape? It's been so long since I saw it. These are all super vague, because I only remember how I felt about Chiana, I don't actually remember much about her at all. I sense I need to rewatch, like, now.

1. A large part of what makes Chiana Chiana is her physicality. Her movement is a reflection of her emotions, her thoughts, her soul.

2. Her survival instinct is one of the strongest I've ever seen in a character.

3. This links with 2 --- it isn't selfishness, but it looks a lot like it. Chiana can and will form close, loyal bonds with others under the right circumstances, but part of her is always watching out for her.

4. Possibly the brightest character ever to set foot on Moya, and yet so, so dumb.

5. Sex is just sex, nothing more, nothing less. She has no idea why others try to conceptualise and analyse it. It's fun, it's messy, and that's all there is to it.

1. Arthur is often wilfully ignorant on all kinds of things; Merlin's magic, his father's rubbish ruling, the fact he gets knocked out ridiculous amounts and somehow can still function.

2. The key to getting Arthur's voice is having him be as condescending and patronising as possible towards Merlin and polite but respectfully distant to most others.

3. As he grows older, Arthur may appear to think he's superior to everyone, but he actually doesn't, when it comes down to it. He makes a show of seeming so as it's what's expected, but for the most part, his crown is heavy and he thinks he should really be treated just as any other man.

4. One of Arthur's greatest enemies is himself.

5. Ordinarily I wouldn't want to put something that relates to another character here, but for me, this is absolutely fundamental to how I view Arthur: Arthur fell in love with Merlin the first moment they met. It can be viewed as platonic, perhaps it even should be, but that doesn't lessen its strength. Merlin was the first person (barring Morgana --- and she's a special case, that was sibling rivalry) to ever challenge him, and he needs that. It is his relationship with Merlin that has helped him grow.

1. Ray's capacity for self-delusion is incredibly impressive. He thinks so many things about himself that he grows to recognise are untrue. Of course, the important thing here is that he is smart enough to eventually learn these things about himself.

2. Sometimes, it's easier being a stereotype.

3. He claims he isn't, but he is just as idealistic as Fraser, deep down.

4. Family is important to Ray. This is why his father's treatment has screwed him up as much as Bob Fraser's has screwed up Benton.

5. He's never really fit in, and for a long time that was Not Okay, but when he found Fraser and they didn't fit in together, it was all he wanted.

1. Chris isn't as stupid as everyone --- even himself --- believes. He's no genius, but it isn't actually that easy becoming a detective, and he's more perceptive than people give him credit for being.

2. He does have a childish delight in the world, though. It's incredibly endearing. If you get that delight mixed in with just a smidge of naivety, and uncanny perception of those around him, Chris' perspective is easy to convey.

3. Chris is so eager to please others, he forgets he has needs and wants of his own.

4. Chris's grammar leaves a lot to be desired, and this is a good way of distinguishing his voice from Gene's and Annie's, and even more from Sam's. The best way to distinguish him from Ray is the content --- he's not as insulting.

5. Chris' strength is his ability to learn and take on board new methodologies and ideas.

1. Maya is confident and will stand up for what she believes in --- she is every bit as stubborn as the likes of Sam or Gene.

2. Maya is brave. In another person it would look like stupidity.

3. She loves her job, but she hates red tape. Policing should be as much about instinct as cold, hard facts.

4. There is a lot we don't know about Maya and so, within reason, we can use our imaginations. Want to say she's done kickboxing? Okay, just set it up. Want to say she's bisexual? Go right head, just set it up.

5. We don't know how much she knows about her cultural background. This could be fun to explore.

1. John is a total badass. I feel like this is an aspect even the show forgot in episode two, but a big part of my concept of Watson from Moffat and Gatiss' Sherlock is: crack-shot, will resort to violence if absolutely necessary, can and will save the day, because John Watson makes whoever we're now using as Chuck Norris look like a pussycat. And then, tea!

2. John likes to pretend he's terribly conventional, but he's just not. His love of Sherlock isn't about living vicariously, not even a little.

3. There's an exactness of movement and speech with John.

4. He isn't a genius, but he is smarter than the average bear.

5. John is patient, but he isn't a saint. Push him enough and he will snap.

1. Abed always knows slightly more or slightly less than people think. Occasionally, he knows both more and less simultaneously.

2. Fiction isn't escape, it's existence.

3. Acknowledged pop-culture references and self-awareness are key aspects to highlight if writing Abed. He will made a Godfather reference, and he will point out that it's a huge cliche, and he will point out that he was using it as such to put him in the grand tradition of [x], [y] and [z], and he'll say that even that in itself is a trope you can look up online.

4. Sometimes even Abed is annoyed by Abed.

5. Abed's always thought he couldn't truly relate to real people, but then he meets Troy...